Category Archives: social

I realized today just how “Debbie-downer” my blog posts have been thus far, and so, I am here now to correct that with a few laughs (hopefully) and something I find exciting.

I am not, in any way, a feminist. In fact, I would probably be considered a bad woman overall by those who are feminists.

-I don’t think women should be on the front lines of war with men. I think that it makes better sense to segregate military tactical teams by sex. It honestly just makes more sense to me because it seems like it would simplify things as a whole.
-I read cheesy, popular romance smut on a regular basis. I love a good story where a woman gets dominated and controlled, almost to the point where you question the ethics of the characters.
-When I’m driving, I frequently rationalize bad drivers with this phrase: “No wonder they can’t drive, it’s a fucking woman! I should’ve fucking known!” (My road rage is not lost on me, by the way).
-I am adamant that a woman cannot make as much money as a man without either going through a shit ton of schooling or showing some lady-bits.
-There are some jobs that I am pretty sure most women cannot do, myself included. For example, my husband has worked as an oil rig worker and is now a Lineman. There is no way in hell that I would ever be caught doing those jobs, and definitely not to the same standard that he does. I’m a wimp, I can admit that.
-I am part of a secret club on facebook full of bitches, and the things said on there really exemplify my point (although it is a secret club, so I can’t really share details, I’d have to kill you).
-I think that there are a lot of women who enjoy that whole “being viewed as an object” thing. I mean, not all strippers have to be doing what they are doing just because they have daddy issues… right??
-The last reason I’m an awful, horrible feminist is that I am completely cool with being the housewife. It’s traditional and looked down on by so many people, but hey, daycare is fucking expensive and my husband makes more money than I will be able to for a loooong while. i am also not willing to sacrifice time with him and the kids to work a different shift.

I like that^, don’t you?

Anyways, so we’ve established that I am awful woman.

This all aside, I am super excited about a few things I’ve noticed in television lately. There has been a lot of shows coming out that have strong female characters. This is totally a feminist thing for me to notice, but it excites me because I consider how these kind of shows and characters will affect my daughter (and my son’s views of women) in a positive way.

Take this clip for example (fan-edited, so ignore how they screwed it up). On ABC’s Scandal, Olivia lets all of her stress and worries go to dance to some Stevie Wonder. She tells Jake that she wants both him and Fitz. In this scene, she issexy and powerful. She is strong and will not be subjected to the stereotypes that is set for women who embraces their sexuality.

During this scene, I felt like yelling out “Hell yea!”. But, of course, then she was kidnapped and they completely ruined it for me.

Still, though, I felt like that was a powerful moment in TV that so many people failed to see.

Another show that presents strong female role models is CW’s Reign. If you haven’t watched it yet, do so now. RIGHT NOW. Binge the first season on Netflix! It’s a period piece, which I usually hate, but they have done it in a way that is amazing. Love the cast, love the story line, love the dresses (oooh the dresses!) and I love the fact that the women secretly hold all of the power. The women in the show use what they have, make tough decisions, and outsmart their enemies while keeping up the royal appearances. It’s worth the watch, and worth the commercials when you have to head over to Hulu for season 2 (some episodes are also on YouTube).

Anyways, I’m gushing. I’m sorry. It is just that I love the way some producers and writers are now portraying women. Game of Thrones, State of Affairs, the list goes on and on. The lesson: it’s a great time for women on TV.

Okay, so maybe I am a little bit of a feminist. Reading over this, I get that. But typically, I dislike any group that sets itself apart from others based on its characteristics, especially when they do this in pursuit of social or political power. NAACP? Nope. White supremacists? Definitely not. The rich and elite? Hell no. Scientologists? Never in a million effing years.

I was called naive in my Cultural Diversity course for maintaining that labeling ourselves and focusing on our differences is not embracing who we are. No, it is a means of divide that causes unrest.

So, maybe I’m a bad feminist. But I am a pretty decent humanist. I believe in equality and interconnection throughout all of humanity. I believe in empowering people who have been oppressed without isolating them from the rest of humanity. Maybe you think that is impossible, but I think it is the only way that we will find peace.